The new exhibition of Andrew Moore at Kopeikin Gallery in Los Angeles is titled Dirt Meridian, coinciding with a book of the same name published by Damiani Editore.
The “Meridian” of the title refers to the 100th meridian, the longitude that neatly bisects the country and has long been considered the dividing line between the fertile green East and dry brown West of the United States. Much of the meridian traverses America’s “flyover country”, those remote and sparsely populated landscapes with a long history of repeated drought and failed dreams. Set within the context of that harsh backdrop, the photographs not only portray the land itself but also reflect upon the modern-day challenges posed to those who live there.
In a time when the impact of climate change is at the forefront of global concern, Moore’s work speaks of a land subject to extreme weather conditions, and where a few less inches of rain and a few degrees’ higher temperatures is all that lies between lush grassland and blowing sand.
In Andrew Moore’s own words: “Over the course of many years, I came to realize that what most attracted me to working along the 100th meridian was the land itself, the severe magnificence of its dirt and emptiness. Unlike the Native Americans—who mastered it with their acumen, bravery and speed—those who came to settle on the land survived mostly by hard-won perseverance. This book is in part about the legacy of their ambition and failure on these arid high plains, as well as the evolving story of this region of the country. But the hardness of the land also lies in its vast and sublime emptiness. Perhaps the greatest challenge in making these photographs was how to depict that emptiness but not make vacant images. As best I could, I have tried to place the subjects in this book in relief, not only against the backdrop of human events, but also in relation to the physical and transcendent dimensions of Emptiness.”
Andrew Moore – Dirt Meridian
September 8th- November 3rd, 2018
Reception for the Artist & Book Signing Saturday, September 8th from 6 – 8 pm.
Kopeikin Gallery
2766 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, California 90036
